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Sheriff probes report of antics in grave by digger

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a report that a grave digger at a Grand Junction cemetery was recorded on a video playing a simulated guitar, standing on a casket, while he was inside a grave following a funeral service.

Authorities were told he uploaded the video to Facebook and tried to post it on another website, according to a Sheriff’s Department report.

Deputies were provided information claiming that Christopher Redd, 27, of Clifton, was shown by a cellphone camera in the alleged display July 23 at Memorial Gardens, 2970 North Ave.

An arrest has not been made, and an investigation remains active, Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Heather Benjamin said.

Possible charges include desecration of venerated objects, a class one misdemeanor.

The report said a deputy on July 27 was provided printed copies from Redd’s Facebook page and a CD.

The CD shows a video of Redd standing inside a grave atop a casket, using a shovel to simulate a guitar “while he mimicked a rock and roll music video,” the report said. “I observed that music had been attached to the video and Redd sang that he was a monster.”

Photos showing the same were also provided to deputies, the report said.

An obituary was turned over to deputies indicating that a woman was buried at the cemetery late morning on July 23, after which the report suggests the video was created. The video appears to show a headstone with a man’s first name, which is near where the woman’s grave site is, the report said.

Printed pages from Redd’s Facebook page, dated July 23, included statements that he tried to upload the video to YouTube.com, but he was unable to, according to the report.

Memorial Gardens’ director Lauri Clapp said Redd is not employed at the cemetery and referred comment on the case elsewhere.

Redd’s Facebook page Wednesday said he has been employed through a temporary service, April 2010 to present, at Memorial Gardens as a grave digger.

A phone number listed in the report for Redd was disconnected. A woman who identified herself as Redd’s mother said he was unavailable for comment Wednesday night at the home address listed in the report.